Alternate 50s Pop Culture Timeline

Children’s shows
While Howdy Doody remains similar ITTL, the way it ends is different. ITTL, Buffalo Bob woke up the day after Labor Day 1954 and felt fine, but as the day progressed, he was feeling pain. A few minutes into that day’s Howdy Doody episode, Buffalo Bob collapsed and NEARLY died of a heart attack. The heart attack was so severe, that he had to retire at age 37. NBC cancelled the show after that incident. The Howdy Doody Radio Show (ITTL, it continued beyond April 1954) premiered its final episode (which was recorded before the incident) only a few days later on September 12, 1954. The show later fell into obscurity due to this.

The Pinky Lee Show became NBC’s flagship children’s show after Howdy Doody was cancelled. ITTL, Pinky Lee did not have a heart attack and the show lasted until after 1961 (and before 1968). The show switched to color on September 12, 1955 and ran 5 days a week, originally six days, until Howdy Doody’s cancellation and Pinky Lee complaining about being pressured.

Gumby made its debut on Pinky Lee in 1955.